Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Heroclix of Earth; rise.

For those of you who can't access that article, Heroclix, the superhero-comic-themed tabletop strategy game I've written about on occasion, seemed to have died when its company, Wizkids, was closed by its parent company, Topps. But the involvement of another company, NECA, has brought Heroclix back to life, with a Marvel set coming out this fall (Hammer of Thor) and a DC set in the Spring (Brave & The Bold).

To celebrate, I offer you this map of an abandoned churchyard and graveyard as a venue for a Black Lantern themed game.

Candidates for a Black Lantern team include figures that represent characters whom we've seen, or know we will see, resurrected as Black Lanterns (e.g., Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man, Sue Dibny, Amon Sur, Golden Age Superman, Hawk, the original Firestorm, the Spectre, Deadman). Candidates for a team to oppose them include those whom we have seeing fighting the BLs (e.g., Superman, Superboy, Flash, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Star Sapphire, Sinestro, the living Titans, Deadman, Phantom Stranger, Hawkman, Hawkgirl). Don't put the same ch character on each team, LOL!

Also: the Black Lantern team MUST have Black Hand on it. Any of his teammates whom he can see may automatically heal one click as a free action of the beginning of their turn. And if his team KOs a figure, he can 'bring it back from the dead' as a power action and put it on his team. Resurrected figures reappear wherever they fell, and start on their last click. Because the odds are obviously in the Black Lanterns favor, all the opposing team has to do is KO Black Hand, and flee off the edge of the board. If they can.

It's not likely there will be Black Lantern heroclix made any time soon, so if you want some, you might look for a customer clix maker to create them for you...!

Hmm, Brave and the Bold; I'm imagining a whole series of "World's Finest" style combo dials, with all of Batman's guest stars from the team-up series: Batman and Green Arrow, Batman and Sgt. Rock, Batman and the Teen Titans, Batman and Kamandi. . . .

I'm no fan of the dual dials; the underlying mechanic gives me a headache. So I'm not hoping for lots of those. I mean, unless, the characters are conjoined twins, or fight REALLY closely, putting them on one dial isn't very verisimilitudinous, which is what I look for in clix.

Also, experience has shown that the titles by which sets are named are not really strong themes. I hope that means few duals.

What I'd hope for are some solo clix of characters who were first done in the "REV/no special powers" era.

Such as Black Lightning. Or Brainiac, and Brainiac 5.

Or people they never got around to, like Invisible Kid and Vibe. A Golden Age Joker. Negative Man.

An actual, normal, Barry Allen as Flash. A more threatening Black Hand.

I agree with you about Negative Man: he's way overdue, and for that matter, so is General Immortus. (And Immortal Man, and the Time Commander, and Prince Ra-Man, and Multi-Man. . .but then, I never really escaped from the 60s.)

It's just a shame that HeroClix had to "sit it out" for a year; this summer would have been a great time for a Dark Reign-themed Marvel set, and this fall would have been perfect for a Darkest Night-themed DC set.

It would have, but I prefer that regular sets be more "evergreen". I weep uncontrollably when I think of the slots and plastic wasted onForerunner, Pariah, the HDC Troopers, the Kingdom Come figures, and the DC One Million figs.

I actually really like my DC One Million Superman click, but mostly because he is one of my non-cosmic level bruisers...

I hope Brave and the Bold has a really good John Stewart click, he needs a new one. Stargirl and a Ted Knight click too. (Not paired though.) And several Legion characters who aren't from that starter set.

Hmm, Brave and the Bold; I'm imagining a whole series of "World's Finest" style combo dials, with all of Batman's guest stars from the team-up series: Batman and Green Arrow, Batman and Sgt. Rock, Batman and the Teen Titans, Batman and Kamandi. . . .